2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 5: Virginia Tech

We are taking an early first look at each of the Hurricanes upcoming opponents this season.

Nov 18, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (22) runs with the football against Louisville Cardinals defensive back Devin Neal (27) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

After playing an "easy" schedule to begin the season, the Miami Hurricanes will face its first Atlantic Coast Conference team the Virginia Tech Hokies.

While both teams finished their 2023 season with identical records of 7-6, the Hokies had more success in ACC actions finishing with a 5-3 record in conference play. This was a step in the right direction for the program which seems to be aiming to return to its glory days after improving its record by 4 wins after going 3-8 in 2022. That can be thanks to many of the transfer players who are returning for a second season in Blacksburg.

The same amount of excitement that Hurricanes fans have to their team could also be seen in some of the most loyal fans in the country with the Hokies. Here is a look at the 2024 Virginia Tech Hokies.

Offense

Tech success would be hard to describe without mentioning starting quarterback Kyron Drones. 

The dual-threat transfer from Baylor took over as the starting man under center three games into the 2023 season and changed the direction of the program for the better. Drones threw for 2,085 yards with 17 touchdowns while also rushing for 818 yards and finding the endzone five times with his electric feet.

The Hokies are also returning 2023 All-ACC Third Team running back Bhayshul Tuten who rushed for a team-high 863 yards during his 2023 campaign. The endzone was a home for him as he scored ten while doing it on five yards a carry.

Tutun was also one of the top kick returners in the country last season. He finished as one of only five FBS players to return two-plus kicks to the house and if you combine his return yards alongside his rushing, he eclipsed over 1000 all-purpose yards on the season.

Similar to the Hurricanes, the Hokies are returning a majority of its offensive protection in its top four targets from a year ago, with Ali Jennings, Da'Quan Felton, Jaylin Lane, and Stephen Gosnell.

Unfortunately, Jennings only played two games before suffering a season-ending injury in his first year as a Hokie but did not leave without an impression. He hauled in two touchdowns in his debut game and is returning with a newfound inspiration now that it is his sixth season of college football. Felton transferred over from Norfolk State, and the 6-foot-5-inches, 213-pounder wrung in 38 catches for a team-high 667 yards in 2023 and found the endzone eight time.

Lane in his first season in the maroon and orange led the team in 41 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns as a fifth-year. Gosnell returns for another year after catching 22 passes and three touchdowns a season ago,

The offensive line will virtually be identical with Brothers Kaden and Braelin Moore, Parker Clements, Xavier Chaplin, Bob Schick, and Brody Meadows all returning protect their star quarterback, while the addition of Georgia State transfer Montavious Cunningham could make this one of the best, and most underrated lines in the ACC and maybe the country.

Defense

the Hokies are returning most of their starters from the team that won five of their final seven games and that is thanks to head coach Brent Pry and a compelling NIL package for many of the top players on the defensive side of the ball.

Tech did lose two of its top three defensive tackles due to graduation and searched heavily in the portal to fill those spots. Kemari Copeland, Aeneas Peebles, and Kelvin Gilliam Jr. were all top targets for the Hokies and they were able to get all three.

The defensive line played well last season however, the Hokies struggled the most at linebacker. The team specifically had a glaring issue at inside linebacker. Tech landed Middle Tennessee linebacker Sam Brumfield to aid the issue and Brumfield has already taken on a leadership role since arriving during the winter. One of the other talents in the positions group is Keli Lawson who is an athletic specimen who still has lots of room to improve.

The Hokies had the ACC’s best duo of cornerbacks Mansoor Delane Jr. and Dorian Strong. The pair were dynamic and with the improvement of offense in the conference, they could be receiving more attention than anticipated.

Schedule

After this game, the Hurricane will take a trip across the country to face Cal in California. Luckily the first bye week is after that road trip which will give the team time to rest and prepare for the next stretch of their schedule where the looming threat of Louisville and Florida State start to take precedence.

For now, the U will focus its attention on a long road trip that could give them time to think of new offensive and defensive tactics now that the addition of Cal from the Pac-12 is in full effect. This will be one of the more interesting games of the season for the Hurricanes because of what it could mean for the future of the ACC and the balance that seems to be set in place.

Outlook

For each team, this could be a pivotal moment for each of their season. Assuming that both teams will have entered this game undefeated, this will be the start of knocking down some teams in the ACC totem poll with 12 possible playoff teams and a possibility of two or three ACC teams battling for a slot.

For the Hurricanes, it would mean that they have defeated a team that has many of the same players from the previous season's roster which would only improve its net ranking. Preseason rankings have the Hokies looking strong and a possible trap game type of team that has the potential to win up to eight or nine games. With that name on the resume of the Canes, it can only boost their stocks deeper into the season.

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The Game

Date: September 27

Time: 7:30 PM ET

TV: ESPN

Location: Hard Rock Stadium

Series: Miami leads Virginia Tech 25-15

Last Matchup: In the teams last matchup on October 15, 2022, the Hurricanes defeated the Hokies 20-14 after dominating on the offensive side of the ball with 458 total yards of offense while VT had 257. The defense of the Hokies kept the game close but in the end, the offense failed and the Hurricanes secured the victory.

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Miami Hurricanes 2024 Football Schedule

August 31            at Florida

September 7      Florida A&M

September 14    Ball State

September 21    at USF

September 27    Virginia Tech

October 5            at California

October 12         Bye Week

October 19         at Louisville

October 26         Florida State

November 2       Duke

November 9       at Georgia Tech

November 16     Bye Week

November 23    Wake Forest

November 30     at Syracuse